Skimboard?

[BR-Frontloop]

Hey everybody,
I've been riding twintip for a couple of years now and want to try out directional boards. I have a skimboard with some grip so I figured it would be good to try with.
However, I consistently fell off after hitting small waves. I also didn't feel that I could carve high enough to tack but that's probably because I've never ridden skimboard or even a directional board before.
Any suggestions?

Thanks

[jakemoore]

Ride it some more. Ride it especially in lighter winds and if you have onshore wind and nice flat skim conditions in the beach. I would try little shove it transitions before trying to do a 1-2 step style foot switch or tacks into the wind.

[Matteo V]

Keep at it, but skimboards suck overall. I bought a nice one and a cheap one. Both of them wound up being total crap for anything that I wanted. Not to say I didn't have good times, or learn lots on them. I don't think you really gain any strapless kill until you go strapless and finless.

So again, if you have one go for it and really put some time into it. But if you're looking to buy one for kiting, prepare to be disappointed.

[Herman]

If you losing the board when popping over small waves and white water steps you probably need to learn how to present the bottom of the board to the wind so the windage on the board keeps it pressed onto your feet. (If you jumped windsurfing it has some similarities to using the windage on the board to bear away in the air.). You can practice this with simple ollies.
If riding in cross on, you can't just hold an edge over the wave you need to slow up by heading up then flatten the board and bear away with controlled speed with a stance adjustment that leaves you more over the board as you crest the wave. Raising the kite as you head up and slow will enable you to use a power stroke to pull you over the wave and regain speed as required. Practice carving about and controlling your speed, learn to ride slow if you have been used to just blasting about. Lots of sliding heel to toe and back, riding side on etc.


If you want to tack etc you need to get used to sending the kite to the zenith and sheeting out so that you can carve far enough into wind. If you are coming off TT you will have to get used to doing things with the kite high. Having it high and sheeting in will make foot changes easier etc. Go and play with different kite control. If you think of jumping without getting any height it might help you visualise what's needed to help switching feet etc.

Use it to practice ordinary and running beach starts etc........But it is quite different to a finned directional and not so well related that I would consider it to be as an intro to other types of directional.

[edt]

skimboard is really slippery and you get knocked off any time there is the smallest chop. Save the skimboard for butter smooth conditions, use the surfboard for everything else.

[kiteykitekite]

Skims are awesome. Best fun you can have in small waves, like head high or smaller. Even fun in bigger and much bigger . They are also the best boards to do strapless tricks on. The problem most people run into when they have a skim is they get too small. You need L,XL or XXL, but more XXL. Ideally board is a similar area to a surfboard.

Surfers knock on skimmers but surfers are kooks in comparison

[pebbles]

^^Agree, many moons ago before foils my shop owner suggested a skimmer for me to use in lite-winds. It takes awhile to get the technique, but it is worth it! I'm riding a sweet Wave Zone now and prefer a real skim over the kite skim.

[BWD]

skimboards suck overall.

Maybe because they lack volume?

[Matteo V]

skimboards suck overall.

Maybe because they lack volume?

Outline, not volume. The rails, being really sharp typically all the way forward, make up for that a bit. But you just can't get rid of that "pumpkinseed" round outline. That makes for an inefficient engagement of the rails in a straight line.

But the most damning evidence that skimboards suck (as in too many tradeoffs for so little overall performance envelope), is that you select the biggest board you can get, vs going with the smaller sizes in a surfboard.

Not to say they are not fun for the challenge, but they just don't have a wide performance envelope.

[joriws]

> However, I consistently fell off after hitting small waves.

Stay relaxed at knees and hips. They are your suspension on small waves to steer skimboard nicely over. I think it is the most important thing in strapless to be soft suspension on chop/waves..